Thursday October 27, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Brad Dubbelman

Making headlines:

Thousands of ANC Youth League supporters are expected to walk from the Johannesburg CBD to Pretoria today as part of an "economic freedom youth mass action". After being denied permission to hold a vigil outside the Union Buildings tonight, the league secured the Caledonian Stadium in Pretoria as a venue. Tshwane metro police denied permission for the Union Buildings vigil due to security concerns. The Presidency also declined because the site is classified as a national key point. However, permission was granted for the youth league to march to the Union Buildings tomorrow morning to hand a memorandum to The Presidency.

Liberia's presidential challenger said yesterday that he may withdraw from next month's run off vote against incumbent Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf unless the leadership of the national electoral body is sacked. Former UN diplomat Winston Tubman has accused the National Election Commission (NEC) of favouring Johnson-Sirleaf in the poll and of not taking his complaints of fraud in the October 11 first round seriously enough. A top official of Tubman's CDC party told reporters that the NEC was organising a "political circus" and said the party would not participate in the November 8 second round unless the NEC's leadership is replaced.

The National Treasury is mulling changes to public finance legislation to enforce political accountability and tougher penalties for transgressions, Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan said yesterday. "We are certainly looking at amendments to the Public Finance Management Act," he told a joint sitting of Parliament's Portfolio committees on Appropriations and Finance. Gordhan said there was a need for a culture change in government spending and for stronger leadership from politicians and senior civil servants to curb waste and promote "moderation and modesty". He also called on Parliament to do more to hold officials to account.

Also making headlines:
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who once vowed to die fighting on Libyan soil, now wants to face international justice instead and avoid any chance of meeting the same grisly end as his father, Libyan officials said.
And, Sudan gave weapons, ammunition and other assistance to the former Libyan rebels who overthrew Muammar Gaddafi, President Omar al-Bashir said.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.